Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp showered praise on match-winner Adel Taarabt after the Moroccan scored twice to give QPR their first victory of the league season against Fulham.

The London club had previously gone 16 games without a win - the worst ever start to a Premier League campaign - before Taarabt's second-half brace earned a 2-1 victory over Fulham at a relieved Loftus Road.

Taarabt failed to impose himself under Redknapp during the pair's time together at Tottenham Hotspur, but the QPR manager said he never doubted the 23-year-old's ability.

"Taarabt is an amazing talent. I sold him at Tottenham, but I never wanted to do that," he said.

"He is a fantastic footballer and he has the ability to be up there with the best. I thought it was one of the all-round great individual performances.

"Everything he did was top-class. He has all the talent to be whatever he wants to be."

After inspiring QPR to promotion from the second-tier Championship last year, Taarabt failed to hit the heights in the Premier League last season and finished the season with just two goals to his name. But his two goals on Saturday mean the midfielder has already doubled his tally this term. If his deflected 52nd-minute opener was slightly fortuitous, his second goal was truly memorable.

Receiving the ball up just inside Fulham's half, Taarabt nutmegged Brede Hangeland and then advanced to the edge of the area before guiding a sublime shot into the bottom-left corner with the outside of his right foot.

"It is a joy to win a game after a tough five months," he said.

"The performance was brilliant from all the team and we can now start to believe in ourselves.

"The first goal was not nice, but it was very important for the team. The second goal was all I ever wanted."

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Victory at last for Redknapp's QPR